Moments
by Symphony In Blue
Summary: A collection of short, unconnected vignettes featuring Harry and Ruth in a fluffy setting. I'm always open to suggestions!
1. Sunrise

**I was actually trying to come up with a new drabble when this idea popped into my head, and because it was far too long for a drabble I decided to turn it into a vignette instead. Might be just a one-off, but I will try and write more of these (unconnected) stories if there is enough demand!**

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**Sunrise**_  
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Harry stood in front of the window, gazing out at the London skyline and watched the sun rise, slowly but surely. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and it looked like it would be a wonderful day. Being up at this hour wasn't unfamiliar to him, whereas seeing the sunrise was. He usually got up before 6 and would be on the Grid by 7, and he nearly always went home late at night, which meant he always missed both sunrise and sunset.

One would think that, now that he'd retired, he would seize the opportunity to sleep a proper amount of hours and wake up at a much more humanly time of the morning. But he couldn't, for several reasons. One was that he'd gotten so used to his early starts over the years, first at boarding school, then the army, and eventually MI5, and it was difficult to break a habit after such a long time. It was a part of what defined him; an early riser. Another reason was that he actually liked early starts, because it enabled him to get a lot of things done during the day. He supposed he inherited that trait from his mother, who was always up at the break of dawn, pottering around the house, doing a million tasks simultaneously.

But he knew none of this was the actual reason for his newfound insomnia. The real reason for it was bundled up in his arms, resting against his right shoulder. Harry looked down lovingly at his newborn daughter who yawned, and then nuzzled her little face even further into the crook of his neck. He turned slightly to shoot a quick look at the bed, and was glad to find Ruth still sound asleep.

He smiled, and turned back to face the window again. The past couple of weeks had been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, and both had survived on practically no sleep. But what they'd gotten in return was worth every sleepless minute of the day.

And the sunrises? They were just the icing on the cake.

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**Thanks for reading :) Please review and let me know if you want to read more. xx**


	2. A House is not a Home

**Thank you for the overwhelming amount of reviews for the previous vignette. I'd never expected so much response, so it was a very pleasant surprise. I hope you'll like this, slightly longer, one as well.**

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**A House is not a Home  
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"Can I open my eyes yet?"

"Not yet Ruth. Soon though, very soon."

Harry led her from the hallway into the sitting room, carefully navigating her through the doorway as Ruth still had her eyes screwed shut tightly.

"Open them," he said softly.

She opened her eyes and gasped in surprise as she looked around the room. "Oh, it's absolutely beautiful!"

The room had a bay window at the front, a large Victorian fireplace, and a rosette on its very high ceiling where a lamp used to hang, or possibly a chandelier. Other than that the room was empty, as the owners had recently moved out. In her mind, Ruth was already thinking up different ways to decorate the room, it had so much potential.

"Do you like it?" Harry asked.

"I love it," she replied. "It's absolutely gorgeous. And if this room is anything to go by, I'm sure the rest of the house will be equally lovely."

"It's got a large kitchen/diner, a separate dining room, and a big garden. Upstairs there are three bedrooms and a bathroom, and the master bedroom has an en-suite and a walk-in wardrobe. And then of course there's the attic." Harry summed it all up.

"It all sounds amazing," Ruth sighed. "Are you thinking of putting in an offer?"

"Hmmm.." Harry avoided the question. "Do you think I should?"

Ruth was surprised that he was actually asking for her opinion. She had come along with him because he had asked her to, but she hadn't known exactly why, or where they were going for that matter.

"I uh..I don't know," she said nervously. "I mean, it depends really. It is beautiful, but it's also quite big. You'd have to consider whether you want to live in a big house. Not that I'm suggesting you should choose something smaller, quite the contrary."

She was rambling and they both knew it. Once she realised she was doing it she immediately stopped talking.

"Right," he said, obviously none the wiser after her ramblings."Leaving all of that aside, do you think I should put in an offer?" he asked.

This time she nodded, deciding that it was safer that way. "Definitely. It's a stunningly beautiful house, and it's been well kept. You could just move in without the need to do any DIY or change anything about it. The colours are neutral too, so it's just perfect the way it is."

"Your perceptiveness never ceases to amaze me, Ms. Evershed," he said, smiling.

His comment made her blush ever so slightly. "So, will you be putting in an offer?"

"No," he said.

"No?" she repeated. "Well that's..uh that's your decision I suppose. I know what I would do if I were in the position to buy a house as magnificent as this one."

"So you could picture yourself living here?" Harry asked, deciding to push things a little further than he normally did.

"Oh yes, definitely. Victorian houses are my favourite, and this is one of exceptional beauty and style." She replied enthusiastically.

"Then it's a good thing I've already bought it," Harry said and he smiled mischievously.

Ruth failed to suppress a squeal of excitement. "You've bought it? Why didn't you say so before?"

"Because I wanted to hear your own, unbiased opinion of it before I said anything." He answered.

"It'll look absolutely amazing once it's been fully decorated and furnished," Ruth said, sighing happily at the mental image of the house all finished and done up."I'm sure you'll enjoy living in this beautiful house."

"But a house is not a home," he stated rather than asked.

She nodded in agreement. "That always takes a while. But in due time it'll feel like home, I'm sure."

He moved closer to her, standing just a few centimetres away, his breath tickling her ear as he whispered softly to her. "Move in with me."

She looked up in surprise. He wasn't sure if she looked shocked or excited by what he had just said.

Ruth wasn't sure if she'd heard him correctly. Had he just asked her to move in with him, really? "W-what did you say?" she asked.

"I asked you to live with me. This house, it's beautiful, but it's not a home. You are the one who can make it into one, just by being here, living here, together with me. Please say you will." He sounded insecure.

Ruth was welling up, and she closed her eyes briefly to stop the tears that were threatening to fall. When she opened them again she looked straight into Harry's. She wasn't sure if it was a look of anticipation or one of fear of rejection.

She reached out and softly stroked his cheek with her hand by means of reassurance. "I would love to live here with you, to make it _our _home." She said.

This was enough to reassure him and he smiled broadly as he drew her in for a passionate kiss. "You have made me the happiest man alive," he murmured as they finally broke apart.

He sought out her hand and weaved his fingers through hers, leading her away from the sitting room. "Let me show you the rest of the house."

They walked around, inspecting every room, both excited to have finally entered a new phase of their lives. Eventually they found themselves in the master bedroom, and Harry grabbed hold of her hand even more tightly. Both were quiet as the realisation hit them that soon this would be _their_ bedroom.

"It's a massive room," Ruth said. "And so light."

"It's the best room of the house," Harry said.

"But what are we going to do with the other two bedrooms?" Ruth asked.

"I'm sure we'll think of something," Harry whispered seductively as he pulled her to him for another kiss.

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**Thanks again for reading! Please review xx**


	3. Spring

**Thanks again for all the lovely reviews, they really make my day! I'm not too sure about this vignette, but I thought I'd upload it anyway. Inspired by the lovely weather we've been having this past week.**

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**Spring**

She had always loved spring. It was a time filled with promises, a time of new beginnings. It offered everything and everyone the opportunity to start afresh. Usually she'd seize the moment when spring announced itself to do just that. Have a big clear out in her house, make promises to herself regarding both her personal and professional life. Ruth didn't do New Year's resolutions. She did, however, do spring resolutions. To her it marked a new beginning much more than simply the start of a new year.

Though this year was a whole other story. This time she wouldn't make any resolutions, had no desire whatsoever to start afresh. In fact, she didn't want anything to change. If everything stayed the way it was now for the rest of her life, she would be perfectly happy and content. Things between her and Harry were better than ever, and recently they'd even celebrated their 6 month anniversary, which might not seem like a long time, but after their dancing around each other for years, they decided that every milestone is worth a celebration.

Ruth opened the back door and stepped out into the garden, letting her bare feet come into contact with the recently mowed grass for the first time in the new year. She inhaled deeply, trying to absorb as much as possible of that scent that's so intrinsically connected to those first spring days. She lifted her head and closed her eyes, feeling the rays of sunshine caress her face, eagerly welcoming the warmth, after the long, dull, grey winter that had preceded it.

She sat down on the grass and stretched her legs. Almost immediately she was joined by Scarlet who, after running around excitedly for a couple of minutes, lay down beside her, basking in the warmth of that first sunshine as well. Ruth couldn't help but smile as she watched the small dog getting comfortable on the grass, sighing contentedly and soon drifting off into a peaceful slumber.

For a moment she decided to follow the Jack Russell's example, but soon changed her mind as she heard a pair of footsteps coming up behind her. Just as she looked up Harry sank down next to her, pulled her close and kissed her passionately. She eagerly responded to his kiss and soon moved to lie down, dragging him down with her so he nearly landed on top of her.

When they finally broke apart, lips swollen and slightly out of breath, they both lay on their backs, her head resting against his chest, enveloped in his strong arms. He softly kissed the top of her head, pulling her even closer to him, wanting her to be as close as they could possibly be.

She sighed in contentment and closed her eyes, enjoying the radiating warmth from both the sun and the man she loved with all her heart. It only confirmed what she already knew: spring really was her favourite time of year.

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**Please review! xx**


	4. Cheesecake

**I hope everyone's still enjoying this, because reviews have decreased a bit so I was getting a bit worried. Anyway, this was inspired by a prompt given to me by Amy Littiere, though she probably won't even remember it because that was all the way back in January.  
And of course again a big thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed :)**

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**Cheesecake**

Just as he was falling asleep, Harry could feel an arm reaching out to him, a hand coming to rest on his chest. He sighed, knowing almost certainly what would come next. The hand started tugging at his shirt rather impatiently.

"Harry, are you awake?"

He let out a small groan. "Well I am now."

"Oh good." Ruth sounded a bit too chipper to his liking, especially at this time of night.

"I'm hungry," she said.

He turned around so he could face her. In the darkness of their bedroom he could just make out her beautiful blue eyes.

"What is it this time?" he asked, feigning annoyance. "Fish and chips, ice cream, toast with marmite, beans on toast? Just please tell me it's not a combination of those last two."

She smiled and shook her head. "No, none of those."

"What then?" he asked.

"Cheesecake," she said resolutely.

Harry sighed again. "Where on earth am I going to find cheesecake at this time of night?"

Ruth shrugged her shoulders. "I've no idea. All I know is that I want it, sooner rather than later if at all possible."

"We've got some left-over apple pie," Harry suggested hopefully.

She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Please don't mention the 'a-word' again."

Harry looked surprised. "Yesterday you ate nearly half of it and you said that you loved it."

"That was yesterday," she said. "Today it's a no-go area I'm afraid."

Harry turned over and switched on the lamp on his nightstand. "I'd best go in search of that much coveted cheesecake then," he said as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and got up.

She watched him, grinning happily, as he quickly put some clothes on. "I won't be long, _hopefully_," he said, emphasising the last word, as he kissed her briefly before exiting the bedroom.

Ruth sighed happily and let herself sink back down on the mattress, curling herself up between the sheets, waiting for Harry to return.

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Just 20 minutes later he reappeared, armed with a big square box and two forks.

Ruth's eyes lit up in excitement. "How on earth did you manage that, and so quickly as well?"

Harry smiled knowingly at her. "I may have had to pull a few strings here and there. Apparently it's quite difficult to have cheesecake delivered to your house at 2 in the morning."

He sat down next to her on the bed and handed her the box which she eagerly accepted. She pulled the lid off, grabbed a fork and dug in enthusiastically.

"This is heavenly," she said in between mouthfuls. "Don't you want a bite as well?"

"Only if you can spare me one or two," he joked, using the other fork to take a bite of cake.

He had to admit that it really was delicious cheesecake. In fact, it was the best one he'd had in quite some time. It was almost worth getting up for at 2 in the morning, _almost_.

Having devoured nearly half the cake, Ruth closed the lid and put the box away. "That was delicious, and just what I fancied" she said, reaching up to kiss him. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you liked it. At least that way it was worth the effort," he said.

"It was more than worth it," she said.

"Have you had enough now?" he asked.

She breathed out heavily. "Oh I've had more than enough. I couldn't possibly eat another thing, I'm so full."

"I can see that," he grinned, as he lovingly stroked her rather large bump. "Not much room left in there by the look of it."

"Hey!" she playfully slapped his arm. "Don't you dare calling me fat. It's you who got me into this situation in the first place."

"I would never!" he said in mock-outrage, "ever call you fat."

She smiled. "Good, because otherwise there'd be hell to pay."

"And here I was thinking I was already paying for it," he teased, smiling as he felt their child kicking happily away inside of her.

"Not long now," she said, covering his hand with hers.

"No, not long now," he repeated before kissing her again. There were just a couple of weeks to go and Harry wished they would pass quickly. He couldn't wait until their baby was finally there.

"Can we please try and get some sleep now?" he asked.

"Hmm yes, I am rather tired all of a sudden," Ruth replied.

Harry reached out to switch off his bedside lamp and turned back to Ruth, wrapping her in his arms, letting one hand coming to rest on her bump.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear. "Both of you in fact."

"Love you too," she murmured, already half asleep.

Harry smiled as he planted a soft kiss on her cheek as he lay down beside her. Lately Ruth's cravings had taken a turn for the worse, and he found himself being kicked out of bed at least four times a week to go off in search of food to satisfy said cravings, resulting in late night feasts in bed.

With it had come the continuous frustration of not being able to find the food she had requested, as well as getting a chronic lack of sleep. But in the end none of it really mattered. He was happy to do it, even if it meant losing some sleep over it, and calling in some old favours to get people to deliver stuff to him in the middle of the night. Because it was worth it, s_he_ was worth it.

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**Thanks again for reading! Please review if you want to read more xx**


	5. Heartbeat

**I'm not in a very creative mood, so apologies if this one turned out a bit bland. I thought I'd post it anyway and I hope some of you will enjoy it :)**

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**Heartbeat  
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Ruth's eyes fluttered open as the first rays of sunlight came streaming into the room, their warmth caressing her face as they slowly helped her awake from her peaceful slumber. She yawned and stretched, basking in the warmth the rays of light offered her, marvelling at the wonderful feeling of not being woken by an alarm for once in her life.

She turned over on her right side and gazed lovingly at the figure lying next to her. She was glad to see that he was still sound asleep. She continued to watch him as he slept on uninterruptedly. If she hadn't known him any better, she would've thought he didn't have a care in the world. His frown, which had almost become an omnipresent feature of his face, had creased out, and it took years off him. Lucas had once said Harry chose his frown with his tie in the morning, and she was beginning to think he was right. Because right here, in the comfort of his own bed, he needed his frown just as much as he needed a tie.

She reached out to him, wanting to caress his cheek, but changed her mind midway and pulled back. She was afraid she'd wake him, and she didn't want to do that, not when he obviously needed his rest. Though things were absolutely wonderful between them, it was early days still, and Ruth was slowly getting used to their newfound intimacy. Luckily Harry was patient with her, never made her do anything she didn't want to do, respected her often unexpected apprehension to the most trivial of things, even if he didn't fully understand them. He never pushed her on, didn't test her boundaries, but let her take the initiative. And she was eternally grateful for that, even more so than she could possibly put into words.

Again she continued watching him. Hearing the steady rhythm of his breathing made her feel calm, relaxed, and at ease. To her it was a sign that everything was as it should be. Eventually her need for physical contact overruled her apprehension and she reached out again, this time placing the palm of her hand on his chest. She could feel the soft thud of his heartbeat against her hand, and it was all she needed to feel, nothing more, nothing less. She wished she could stop time right at this moment, freeze the picture and stay in it forever. Because nothing could possibly transcend the utter bliss she was feeling right then.

When she noticed he did not wake, she shifted slightly and moved closer to him, placing her head on his chest where her hand had been just seconds before. Harry murmured something unintelligible but did not wake. Instead, she felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her even closer to him. Ruth closed her eyes and sighed contentedly, allowing the steady beating of his heart to lull her back to sleep.

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**Please review! xx**


	6. A Chance Not Taken

**Thanks again for all the gorgeous reviews! This one's a little different from my other vignettes. I got the prompt off creativewritingprompts . com and it said: start a story with the line "There once was a chance I didn't take"**

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**A Chance Not Taken**

There was once a chance I didn't take. The man I loved, the man I had loved for quite some time, approached me, asked me to have dinner with him. I knew then that what he offered wasn't just dinner, it was an opportunity to have so much more, to have, quite possibly, everything I'd ever wished for. When I looked him in the eye I saw love, so much love, devotion, attentiveness, thoughtfulness. He cared, and it filled my heart with an intense feeling of joy, a feeling I had never felt before, and haven't felt since.

But my fear, my stupid, unfounded, insignificant fear and infinite shyness ruined our short-lived happiness. In my heart I knew that pushing him away was wrong, but this overbearing feeling of fear told me to run, and that's what I did. And by the time I realised just how strongly he felt it was too late. Our first kiss on that dock, the only kiss we ever shared, it shattered my heart into a million pieces. I knew I'd never see him again, and the fact that I never gave our happiness a chance was something that would haunt me for the rest of my days. Little did I know that we would meet again three years later, albeit under the most horrendous and tragic of circumstances.

Since then, since overcoming that hurdle, I had the feeling that we were growing closer again, slowly but surely. But then I made the same mistake a second time. He proposed, and I turned him down. Looking back I don't even know why I did it. The reason I gave him is one I myself didn't even belief in, so why should he? It has caused a rift between us, one I'm not sure can ever be mended. And I was the one who caused it. Me, with my stupid insecurities. I am the one who stands in the way of my own happiness, and it's always been like that. I am sick of always having my head rule my heart.

Which is why, at this moment in time, I will make a promise to myself. From now on I will no longer run away from love at the earliest opportunity, this time I will take the plunge, I will throw myself in at the deep end, bugger the consequences. I have been unhappy for long enough, and have been the cause of other people's unhappiness as well. But not anymore. Tomorrow a new me will wake up, go to work, and face her fears. And if he offers me another, though undeserved, chance at happiness, I will grab it with both hands and I won't let go. Next time, it'll be the chance I _did_ take.

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**Not too depressing I hope? Please review :) xx**


	7. The Wedding Dress

**Reviews have dropped again so I can only hope that people are still enjoying these vignettes.**

**A link to the dress in question can be found on my profile if anyone's interested!  
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**The Wedding Dress  
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Ruth slid open the doors to her wardrobe and started rummaging through the neatly folded piles of clothing. She came across skirts, blouses, and a few pairs of trousers, but there was nothing in there she fancied wearing. The same went for her dresses. For a moment her eyes rested on a blue dress which used to be a favourite, but she soon shrugged off the idea. It was of no use to her now. She continued raiding her wardrobe until, at the very back of it, she stumbled upon something. She knew what it was the moment her fingers came into contact with the material, she didn't even have to see it. She quickly but carefully pulled it closer towards her so she could take a better look at it. It was her wedding dress. She let her fingers glide over the material of the dress, taking in every minor detail of it as though she was seeing it for the very first time.

The white dress was floor length with broad shoulder straps and a plunging neckline. It had some small embroidery along the top half, but other than that it was plain and simple, just the way she liked it. Ruth could still remember clearly why she had picked out this dress in the first place. She had spent hours and hours trying to find a dress that was suitable and, even though she had brought Beth along to help her choose, she couldn't seem to find the right one.

Most of the dresses she had seen and tried on had been too big and extravagant to her liking. She wanted something simple and elegant, which proved much more difficult to find than she could ever have expected. But eventually, after a long and arduous search, she had stumbled upon this dress quite unexpectedly in a small boutique. So tired of the never-ending quest for a dress she hadn't even wanted to put it on at first, but after a few encouragements from Beth she caved in. And for once she was glad that she was so easily convinced. The moment she slipped it on she knew it was the right dress for her. It fitted like a second skin, it was just perfect. Beth had gasped when she had shown her the dress and told her she looked like a Greek goddess. And when Harry, on their wedding night, had told her the same thing she was certain that she had made the right decision.

Ruth had never considered herself to be the marrying kind. It just wasn't something she had fantasised about from a young age like most girls did. But when Harry proposed to her the second time she had said yes because it just felt right. They had kept the celebrations small and simple. The ceremony had been held at a small village church with just a few close friends and family members attending. Malcolm had been Harry's best man and Beth had been Ruth's bridesmaid. Unfortunately Graham, Harry's son, had refused to come, but Catherine had been there which was more than he had bargained for. They had celebrated with drinks at the local pub afterwards, and that night they had left for their honeymoon. It really had been the perfect day, especially for someone who never even wanted to get married in the first place.

She was roused from her daydreams as she heard Harry calling up the stairs that they were going to be late for work. She carefully hung the dress back in her wardrobe, making sure not to crease the material too much. It was quite unbelievable that just six months ago that dress had fitted perfectly, she thought to herself as she looked down and smoothed the material of her pyjama top over her burgeoning belly. In fact, it was the dress that had gotten her into this condition in the first place. Wearing that dress had apparently made her irresistible to Harry, and she had admired his self-restraint which had stopped him from ravishing her the moment he had set eyes on her while wearing it. She smiled to herself as she remembered how they had made it to the hotel in record time that night. Harry's driving had been reckless to say the least, not that she had minded it at the time.

Another call from downstairs reminded her to really get a move on. She quickly grabbed some clothes and threw one last quick glance at the dress before closing the wardrobe behind her.

As she was zipping up her boots she caught a glimpse of her wedding ring and smiled. Perhaps being married wasn't so bad after all.

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**Please review :) xx**


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